Farm-pick



(UNlrfEo STATES HERMAN J. NiNiviAiv, ori/iAmsomwmcoNsIn. y

Y FARM-PICK.

'TofaZZ whom t may concern:

Vof Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFarm-Picks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates in general totools or implements, and has moreparticular reference to a tool which I have designated as a farm pick,and which is particularly designed for use by farmers, gardeners,horticulturists and others for loosening the soil, baring and removingthe roots of plants or shrubs to be transplanted without injury to theroots, and for' baring and removing the roots of noxious plants which,for their elimination, require the complete removal of the roots. Whilethe pick embodying my invention is particularly suitable for purposessimilar to those abovel indicated,

it 1s also adapted for many other uses by farmers and others, which itwill be unnecessary to enumerate.

One of the primary objects of my present invention is to produce a farmpick, which will be strong and durable and adapted for prying purposesas lwell as digging, one which will be light and well balanced, onewhich will not injure the roots of the plants or shrubs around which itis being used, one which can be moved easily through the soil withoutclogging up in wet sticky soil, and one which shall be so constructedthat the handle may be readily removed so that the tool can b e carriedin knocked down condition, and which can be quickly re-assembled whendesired.

Other objects and many of the inherent advantages of my invention shouldbe readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, as the same becomesbetter understood, by reference to the following description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

'Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a in my invention;

ig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig.,3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4 4' of Fig. 1; and

pick embody- Specification of Letters Patent.

1 aieiitu-y Mani, 19121..

Application inea April 21, 1920. serial No. 375,454.

` Fig. 5 is a similar view; on the linee-5 of Fig. 2.

- By reference to the drawings, it be "i observed that the pickcomprises primarily, a centrally disposed head 6, providing an elongatedsocket adapted handle 7.Y That face of the pick'disclosed in Fig. 1 willbe referred toas the" front, and from this figure it will be observedthat the socket is elliptical in shape and tapers from the fronttotherear, as will beevi# dent from Figsg2 and 5. 'The handle is so shapedthat it socket from the left,

the'head from slipping oil the endof the handle while at the Sametime,the socket is of such length that theV handle is gripped thereby toprevent the head from slipping toward the hands of the user when thepick is being manipulated.

At one side of the head, a single prong 8 formed integrally with thehead, projects therefrom in the plane of the major transverse axis ofthe socket. This prongis curved longitudinally outwardly from the to ireceive the` may be inserted vthrough the f viewing Fig. 2 and. whenfully inserted, its outer vend. will` snugly fit in 'the socket and willprevent head about three-fourths of the length of the prong and from theend of the curvature, the pron extends in a substantially straight lineto its tip. The front face 9 of the prong is Hat, as shown in Figs. 1and 2, while the rear face 11 is curved transversely. The prong is thusshaped so that the front face will present a considerable area tofacilitate prying operations with the prong, while the rear facepresents only curved surfaces, which will not cut or injure the roots ofthe plant or shrub with which it comes in contact. To facilitateentrance ofthe prong into the soil, the tip thereof is tapered from bothsides as well Vas from the rear, as will be apparent from Figs.v 1 and2.

At the opposite side of they head 6 from d length and united toPATENT,@FICE-f The frontl faces 15 of these prongs 13 are flat, asindicated in Figs. 1 and 4, to present Vsubstantial areas for pryingpurposes `siiniprongs 13 through the Soil and to prevent larly to theprong 8, andthe rear surfaces vare curved, as ,indicatedjat 16 to lavoidinjury to the roots ofthe plants With which the pick is brought incontact While in use. Y

In order to facilitate movement of the clogging in Wet', sticky soil,the Yinner edges are beveled off from'front to-rear, as indi cated byreference character 17, so that the front, edges of theprongs are closertogether than the rear edges thereof. ToY facilitate cated at 18,A thecutting purposes. 20

Vnally. from thehead' to a Vhead,jfrom which "prong 8 is of graduallyincreasing thickness from front to'rear from thetip tovvardthe V= head,as are also the prongs 13, the maxi- 30 mumY thickness being found inthe neck 12 as it approaches the head; The purpose of tapering theprongsin this manner is to provide the maximum of strength Where it is Vmostrequired, Which, When the tool is used for prying or other purposes is,of course,

' near the head. The prong 8 is preferably somewhat Vthicker from frontto rear throughout its length than the prongs 13, as

the single prong is designed for heavier Work, While the prongs 13 areemployed in lighter uses.

It Will be manifest from the foregoing that l'have provided a pick Whichis strong anddurable and yet'light, Which provides a Vsingle prong ofrequisite strength adaptedv for prying and loosening purposes, which hasa flat front face and a curved rear face so as to avoid injury to roots,vand that the double prongs likewise have flat frnt facesV Itis believedthatrthe construction and lmany of the inherent advantagesof myv in.-vention'Will be understood from the foregoing Without furtherdescription, but Vit should be manifest that the size, shape andproportion'of the various parts may be va-` ried Within considerablelimits, Withoutfdeparting from the essence of the invention as deined inthe appended claim. 1

I claim: f

A farm pick, comprising a centralhead rovided with a handlewreceivingsocket of substantial depth' tapered from front to rear, a prongprojecting from one side of said head, Va neck projecting from theopposite side of said head and bifurcated a short distance from the headto provide a pair of prongs arranged in spaced relation through outtheir length, all of said prongs being shaped to present transverselyflat front faces, transversely curved rear faces and blunt ends.

HERMAN J. NINMAN.

